wanderlust: london - diana: her fashion story exhibition @ kensington palace

The earliest memory I have of the late Princess Diana is that I was staying up late with my family members to watch a fairy tale-like wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Diana. Furthermore, my mother has a hobby of cutting beautiful people in pretty dresses from magazines and newspaper and putting them in a book. And of course, the late Lady Di was one of them. I remember browsing my mother's book when I was little.

Fast forward to 2017, I had the opportunity to visit Diana: Her fashion story exhibition in Kensington Palace. When I tried to purchase a ticket at the Historic Royal Palaces website with no success, I was disappointed. I was about to give up hope, luckily my colleague in London office helped to source another website and tickets are available for purchase... phew and yay!  

A total of 25 dresses were curated in this exhibition. Each dress tells a story and shows the evolution of her fashion style over the years; from the brown tweed wool day suit worn on her honeymoon to the elegant off shoulder black gown that she worn when dancing with John Travolta to the Versace ice blue silk gown with beading.  It is an indeed truly  wonderful sight and experience for fashionistas or Lady Di's fans.

Fashion illustrations

My favourite photo

Kensington Palace

The White Garden

After visiting the exhibition, don't forget to strolling around the White Garden and the Palace's surrounding. The garden is planted with an array of white flowers to commemorate the late princess.

Till my next post, have a blast weekend and stay chic!

outfit post: strolling around the ancient town in a floral vintage dress

Visiting the ancient town of Hoi An has been on my list for a while. Recently I am happily to tick off Hoi An from my list. The ancient town of Hoi An is awarded as a UNESCO World heritage site. The site is  a well-preserved example of a south-east Asian trading port of the 15th to 19th centuries, with buildings that display a unique blend of local and foreign influences.

Chinese style architecture

Lantern shop

Outfit: vintage dress, lace belt, vintage Ferragamo bag, sandals

The best way to enjoy Hoi An is wandering around and getting lost in this little beautiful ancient town. If you are a fan of Vietnamese coffee, take a break and enjoy a nice cup of coffee in a local café. Better yet, find a rooftop café or a riverfront café to enjoy the breath taking view of Hoi An whilst sipping your coffee.

This lovely floral vintage dress has been in my wardrobe for ages. I bought this dress in a flea market in Kuala Lumpur. When  packing for this trip, I thought to myself; why not pack this piece? And it was a good decision.

How is your summer so far? Hope you had a great summer and soon be ready for fall. Until my next post, stay chic!

outfit post: 40s gingham day dress

Outfit: 40s vintage dress, thrifted vintage belt, sneakers

Last summer I bought few 40s vintage dresses and now I am trying to indulge in my purchases. I came across this adorable vintage dress on Etsy and  I was lucky because it is in my size. After few clicks, the dress is mine.

What make it such an adorable dress are the white collar and white cap sleeves. The dress comes with a side metal zipper, one of the features of a 40s dress. I re-hemmed the length of the dress, giving it a fresher look and more suited to my height.

Every now and then I search for 40s dresses on Etsy and also Instagram. Sometimes, I would buy 'wounded' pieces and try to give them second life. Oh, I just realised that I bought two pieces for my next projects and one perfectly nice wool dress for autumn or winter. Can't wait to receive the dresses! 

Have a great weekend and until the next post, stay chic!

vintage stores @ malasaña

Here's a post for vintage lovers or fashionistas. To get your vintage fix whilst vacationing in Madrid, head to Malasaña. Here are some vintage stores for your to-check-out-list:

La Mona Checa

Store details:

La Mona Checa
Calle de Velarde 2,
28004 Madrid, Spain
+34 915 93 39 97

Williamsburg

Store details:

Williamsburg
Calle de Velarde 4,
28004 Madrid, Spain
647 51 39 11

Biba Vintage

Store details:

Biba Vintage
Calle de Velarde 1,
28004 Madrid, Spain
+34 915 91 54 68

Magpie Vintage

Store details:

Magpie Vintage
Calle de Velarde 3,
28004 Madrid, Spain.
+34 914 483 104

Hope this short vintage stores list gives you a little sneak peek of Madrid's vintage scene. After vintage shopping, just take a break in one of the cafes in the area. So convenient and your vintage shopping itinerary can be easily sorted.

Till my next post, stay chic! Hasta pronto!

lolina vintage café @ malasaña

One of my favourite barrios in Madrid is Malasaña. It is full of restaurants, cafes and second hand or vintage shops too. It is an ideal meeting place for hipsters. If you ever in Madrid, do stop by to check it out.

My favourite café in Malasaña is Lolina Vintage Café. The café is decorated with vintage or retro furniture. If you are into vintage furniture, you will definitely love this place! I will just let the photos speak for themselves...

After a hard day of walking around the city and checking out nearby vintage stores, I stopped by here for a break; enjoying a nice cup of latte and a yummy slice of red velvet cake.... Yuummmm...... so scrumptious.

Lolina Vintage Café

Espíritu Santo, 9 - Malasaña - Madrid

Tel: +34 91 523 5859

Hope you are enjoying the weekend, until my next post, stay chic!